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Article History

Received: 31 December 2024

Accepted: 16 June 2025

First Online: 5 July 2025

Declarations

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: We declare that all ethical guidelines for authors have been followed by all authors. Ethical approval is not required [].TurkStat is an institution that compiles, evaluates, and presents statistical information to decision-makers to prepare development plans and programs, make economic decisions, and address all other issues needed. TurkStat carries out internationally comparable statistical production activities according to the standards of organizations such as the European Union Statistical Office, the United Nations, OECD, ILO, etc. TurkStat collects data within the scope of the Official Statistics Program. The Official Statistics Program is prepared for five-year periods based on the Turkish Statistics Law No. 5429 to determine the basic principles and standards regarding the production and publication of official statistics and to ensure the production of up-to-date, reliable, timely, transparent and impartial data in areas of need at national and international levels []. The individuals included in the sample in the surveys conducted by the Turkish Statistical Institute are legally obliged to participate in the survey. According to the Turkish Statistics Law, those who do not provide the information requested within the scope of the research in the specified form and time without a valid excuse or who provide incomplete or incorrect information are warned once and asked to provide the information or correct the deficiencies and errors within seven days. An administrative fine shall be imposed on natural persons or organs and representatives of private legal entities who, despite this warning, do not provide the information or correct the deficiencies and errors as requested []. TurkStat also conducts the Income and Living Conditions Survey within the scope of the Official Statistics Program put into effect by law. Since the Income and Living Conditions Survey is conducted within the scope of legal responsibility by the state, ethical approval is not required [].The data were obtained through the joint teamwork of both the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) and the European Union Statistical Office (SOEU). We obtained this data from TurkStat in return for a contract without needing an ethics committee document and used it in our study [].For this study, secondary data were employed. Official approval was received from the Turkish Statistical Institute to use the microdata set from the Income and Living Conditions Survey. The Turkish Statistical Institute also received a “Letter of Undertaking” authorizing it to use the study’s data.The letter of undertaking for the use of micro data without restrictions in dissemination:Article 1- This letter of undertaking determines the rules, principles and obligations of the use of micro data, which are safe to disclose apart from the Presidency.Article 2-This letter of undertaking regulates the use of micro data sets of the Income and Living Conditions Survey, within the framework of the Directive on Access and Use of Micro Data in line with the purpose specified in Article 1.Article 3- The following provisions apply for the use of micro data:a) Findings obtained by the researcher as a result of incorrect calculation only bind the researcher.b) The researcher refers to the micro data of the Institution that he uses while disclosing the results obtained from the study.c) The researcher is obliged to send a copy of the published report, article, publication etc. to the Institution Library within three months at the latest. Subsequent micro data usage requests of the researcher who is found not to fulfill this obligation are not covered.d) The researcher cannot reproduce, give to third parties, sell or transfer the micro data set he obtained.Article 4-The researcher, by taking into account the principles of confidentiality defined in 13. and 14. articles of Turkish Statistical Institution numbered 5429 and Regulation on Procedures and Principles Regarding Data Confidentiality and Confidential Data Security in Official Statistics, is deemed to guarantee hereby that he shall not disclose the information, table, etc. violating this principle and shall only use micro data for statistical purposes.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.